This invention relates to new polyurethane compositions as well as to a process for curing polyurethane prepolymers.
Polyurethane elastomers have found wide application in the manufacture of articles that must be tough, flexible, and abrasion-resistant; for example, in shoe soles and heels, automobile tire sidewalls, industrial belts, and molded auto parts such as bumper inserts or covers. Normally, the polyurethane prepolymer, the curing agent, and the catalyst are well mixed, placed in a mold, and heated until at least substantial curing has taken place. At this point, the polyurethane article can be demolded without danger of loss of shape or of mechanical integrity and completely cured in an oven.
It is desirable to reduce the molding time as much as possible, so that the mold output can be increased. One way to achieve this goal is to use a small amount of a curing agent having more than two active hydrogen groups together with the normal curing agent having only two active hydrogen groups, usually a diol. Because the polyfunctional additive causes some crosslinking, gelling occurs quite readily, and the partly crosslinked polymer has sufficient mechanical strength to be able to withstand demolding and handling after a short residence in the mold. For many applications, however, a crosslinked polyurethane elastomer is less desirable because it has lower tear strength and elongation. It thus is important to reduce the polyurethane molding time without producing a highly crosslinked polyurethane elastomer.